Woodworkers often wish to smooth a surface of a workpiece prior to the completion of a woodworking project. For example, many workpieces require at least a minimal amount of sanding in order to remove any excess glue or rough edges, prior to completion of the project. Different types of sanders may be used for such sanding, e.g., to improve a surface quality and appearance of the workpiece. For example, such sanders may include a piece of sandpaper held in the woodworker's hand, or may include automated sanders, such as orbital sanders or quarter pad finishing sanders.
A belt sander is another example of a type of sander. Belt sanders generally include some mechanism for maintaining a sanding belt around two rollers. During operation, such belt sanders are designed to provide sufficient tension to the sanding belt to avoid skewing thereof, while avoiding excess tension that may lead to a breaking of the sanding belt.